Shaping society’s development
How Tchibo promotes sustainability issues as a member in various organisations and together with strong partners.
Initiating change often requires collaboration with other stakeholders. Our company is committed to efficiently promoting sustainability issues. Therefore, Tchibo stays intensively engaged with all relevant social stakeholders, is a member of various bodies and closely interacts with strong cooperation partners.
Entering into dialogue with other retail companies, experts, NGOs, government bodies and development organisations is essential to shifting the focus on sustainability issues and advancing these topics at the international level. This is why representatives of our Corporate Responsibility Department take part in conferences, forums and round tables. In addition, Tchibo is a member of various bodies to work on establishing environmentally and socially responsible business practices. Together with cooperation partners from trade, politics, science and civil society, we implement specific projects that we would not be able to realise alone. The following table provides an overview of our current memberships in and cooperations with organisations, which are included in alphabetical order.
Our memberships:
| Organisation and objective | Year joined |
| Foreign Trade Association of the German Retail Trade (AVE) / Foreign Trade Association (FTA) The Foreign Trade Association represents the interests of retailers who import directly into Germany and Europe. FTA is the European umbrella organisation.
| 2009 |
| German Environmental Management Association (B.A.U.M.) BAUM is a politically independent, private-sector environmental initiative. Its objective is to make companies, institutions, government and people more aware of the problems and opportunities of environmental protection and issues of sustainable development.
| 2008 |
| Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C) Association The 4C Association is a global association of coffee producers, trade, industry and other members from various areas of society. Its aim is to improve social, environmental and economic conditions for those whose livelihoods depend on working with coffee.
| 2004; |
| Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) of Aid by Trade Foundation The Aid by Trade Foundation, together with various partners from trade, politics, science and civil society, contributes to the fight against poverty and for environmental protection in developing countries, particularly in Africa. The Foundation has initiated CmiA: The project’s ambitious aim is to support the environmentally and socially responsible as well as economically viable cultivation of cotton in Africa, thereby making this cotton internationally competitive.
| 2007; member of Advisory Committee on the ‘Cotton made in Africa’ project |
| German Coffee Association The German Coffee Association is the lobby of the German coffee industry. With 102 member companies and 32 supporting members, the organisation represents the entire range of interests in the sector.
| 1951 |
| Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) ETI was formed by companies, trade unions and voluntary organisations in 1998 to jointly specify and disseminate best practices for putting codes of labour practice into action. By joining forces, ETI strives to advance compliance with international labour standards and respect for human rights throughout the supply chain and collectively tackle those issues that cannot be addressed by individual companies working alone. Tchibo is involved in working groups for supplier development, living wages and the freedom to join unions.
| 2010 |
| Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) FSC is a non-profit organisation that works to promote sustainable forest management. An FSC certificate for wood or paper products marks items from sustainably managed forests.
| 2010 |
| German Retail Federation (HDE), HDE Environmental Committee and CSR Working Group HDE is the umbrella organisation for German retailers. It represents the concerns and interests of the retail industry in all sectors, at all locations and for all company sizes.
| 1974 (formerly ALF) |
| Global Compact The Global Compact is the corporate social responsibility network of the United Nations. Around 8,000 companies worldwide are gathered under the Global Compact umbrella. They voluntarily commit to adhering to ten principles related to human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and fight against corruption, and to integrate them into their business processes.
| 2009 |
| Initiative for Paper Recycling (IPR) The IPR is an initiative of companies in various industries. The IPR’s aim is to increase the acceptance of recycled paper (bearing the Blue Environment Angel seal) and to lead by example. Important partners are the Federal Ministry for the Environment, the German Foundation for the Environment (DBU), as well as consumer and environmental organisations such as the National Consumer Advice Centre (vzbv) and the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU).
| 2008 |
| Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) The non-profit organisation ISIC was founded in 1990 and is committed to scientifically researching coffee and its effects on health.
| 1998 |
| International Coffee Partners (ICP) ICP is an international initiative in private industry. It helps coffee smallholders and their families in developing countries to increase their competitiveness in the international coffee market, while also improving their living conditions and protecting natural resources.
| 2001; founding member |
| MFA Forum Bangladesh Buyers Group The MFA Forum is an international network of around 70 representatives from different social groups. Its aim is to develop specific solutions for economic and social problems and challenges in developing countries. International retail companies work together in the Bangladesh Buyers Group to establish social standards in the supply chain, focusing on issues such as raising legally defined minimum wages to cover the cost of living, the freedom to join unions and compliance with international human rights.
| 2007 |
| Textile Exchange Textile Exchange is a non-profit organisation that primarily works to promote the cultivation of organic cotton and consumer demand for it. Its long-term aim is to increase the market share of organic cotton to 50% worldwide.
| 2008 |
| Round Table on Codes of Conduct Companies, trade associations, trade unions, NGOs and Federal Ministries are represented at the Round Table on Codes of Conduct. Its aim is to assert social standards in developing countries.
| 2007 |
| Social Accountability International (SAI) Social Accountability International (SAI) works to promote labour rights and social standards all over the world. The Social Management and Certification System developed by SAI, with its internationally applicable social standard SA8000 and its Training and Verification Programme (Corporate Involvement Programme CIP), is designed to help companies in developing and industrialised countries implement social standards on a long-lasting basis.
| 2006, member of Advisory Board |
| Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform is an initiative of the food industry in 25 member companies. Its aim is to support the worldwide development of and dialogue about sustainable agriculture, preferably involving all relevant stakeholders in the food chain.
| 2005 |
Our cooperation partners:
| Partner | Start of the partnership |
| German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) In September 2007, Tchibo initiated the Worldwide Enhancement of Social Quality (WE) project in cooperation with GIZ and BMZ. This programme aims to create enduring improvements in social standards in production plants in Asia. WE relies on dialogue between managers and employees in production plants as well as between retail companies and suppliers.
| 2007 |
| ECOM trading group The ECOM Coffee group, with a 60-year history, is a globally operating trade and export organisation which is committed to establishing and extending robust partnerships worldwide. Its focus is on supplying customers with high-quality products according to their individual needs.
| 2009 |
| Fairtrade Together with Fairtrade we are involved with Fairtrade smallholder farmers in the coffee sector. In this way Tchibo takes on responsibility and contributes to improving farmers’ living and working conditions. The independent Fairtrade certification assures our customers that products bearing the seal meet international standards for fair trade. Tchibo has held a licence since 2008.
| 2008 |
| Institute for Market, Environment and Society (imug) Tchibo cooperates with the Institute for Market, Environment and Society (imug) in the field of consumer protection. imug is a University of Hannover spin-off that specialises in surveys and company evaluations in the areas of sustainability and consumer protection. As required, imug will examine selected Tchibo offers to make sure they are in line with consumer protection guidelines before they are introduced to the market.
| 2007 |
| Platform for Climate Compatible Consumption Germany Tchibo is a corporate partner of the Platform for Climate Compatible Consumption Germany, a follow-up of the German Product Carbon Footprint project. Germany’s Öko-Institut e.V., the Potsdam Centre for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and THEMA1 coordinate the platform. The project provides companies with a reliable framework for calculating and reporting product and consumption-specific CO2 emissions and the opportunity to contribute to promoting climate compatible consumption.
| 2010 |
| Rainforest Alliance The Rainforest Alliance Alliance Certified™ seal stands for a safe place for people and our environment. The Rainforest Alliance is committed to advancing environmentally friendly use of land and socially responsible management. This includes protecting animals and plants as well as providing appropriate living and working conditions for the local population. Tchibo has held a licence since 2006.
| 2006 |